Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to overvoltage switches/protection devices for integrated circuits (ICs).
Description of the Related Technology
Certain electronic systems can be exposed to an overstress event, or an electrical signal of a relatively short duration having rapidly changing voltage and high power. Overstress events can include, for example, electrostatic discharge (ESD) events and/or electromagnetic interference (EMI) events.
Overstress events can damage integrated circuits (ICs) inside an electronic system due to overvoltage conditions and/or high levels of power dissipation over relatively small areas of the ICs. High power dissipation can increase IC temperature, and can lead to numerous problems, such as gate oxide punch-through, junction damage, metal damage, and surface charge accumulation. Moreover, overstress events can induce latch-up (in other words, inadvertent creation of a low-impedance path), thereby disrupting the functioning of the IC and potentially causing permanent damage to the IC. Thus, there is a need to provide an IC with protection from overstress events without impacting its performance.